TORONTO — Ontario municipal councillors could be removed from office and disqualified from running again under new provincial legislation introduced Thursday that would increase penalties for violating a municipal code of conduct. Municipalities have for years been calling for updated codes of conduct to address workplace harassment, as well as stricter penalties for those who violate the rules — including removal from office — but the main advocacy group pushing for changes says the new bill makes it too difficult to get rid of those councillors. Municipal Affairs Minister Paul Calandra's bill would allow for the creation of a standard code of conduct for all municipalities, with penalties of removing and disqualifying a member from office if they are in serious violation of the code. But removal and disqualification could only happen if the municipal integrity commissioner recommends it, if Ontario's integrity commissioner agrees and if councillors except for the member in question unanimously agree to it in a vote. Emily McIntosh, with Women of Ontario Say No, which has been pushing for more tools to hold politicians accountable for workplace harassment, said the requirement of a unanimous vote should not be in the legislation. "If you require unanimous support at the council level, it means that one person who has a personal relationship with another person can undermine the recommendation of the provincial integrity commissioner for removal," she said in a video statement. "It also is extremely inefficient from a taxpayer perspective, which means we're investing as taxpayers into this great process to make things consistent, only to see it potentially risk being non-actionable because one person doesn't like the outcome." Calandra said all of the steps in the process are deliberately difficult to overcome. "It is meant to be a very high bar," he said at a press conference. "Ultimately, the people will decide in an election. I wanted to have a mechanism (for removal), though. I thought it was very important. "I think we've hit a good balance that will allow councils to address the most egregious of challenges in their community, while respecting the voters of each community." Municipal integrity commissioners and the provincial integrity commissioner would only be able to recommend removal from office if the councillor has contravened the code of conduct, the conduct is serious and has resulted in harm to a person's health, safety or well-being, and existing penalties aren't sufficient. The integrity commissioner could also consider whether the conduct "negatively impacts public confidence in the ability of the member to discharge their duties," the government said. The Ontario's Big City Mayors group said it is pleased with the legislation. "Municipalities and municipal integrity commissioners currently lack the tools to enforce codes of conduct and there have unfortunately been numerous examples of repeated contraventions of codes of conduct, bullying and harassment across the municipal sector," the group wrote in a statement. "Municipal staff and elected members of council deserve a safe and respectful workplace free from harassment and bullying." Stephen Blais, who represents the riding of Orleans for the Liberals, had introduced a private member's bill on the topic, prompted by complaints of harassment related to an Ottawa councillor. He said the unanimous vote is too high of a bar, and the government's legislation is "too little, too late." He added he is not convinced it will ever pass, with the possibility Premier Doug Ford could call an early election this spring. "I don't think it will be debated and certainly I don't think passed into law, given the timing of the election," Blais said. "Moreover, the process that they’ve established is very cumbersome and my efforts and the efforts from stakeholders have been to try to take politics out of this process and it seems to me the government is injecting politics straight into it." Ontario's legislature rose Thursday for its winter break, which the government has extended. The legislature had been set to return Feb. 18 but it will now not be back until March 3. The bill is skipping second reading and going straight to the committee stage, so it is possible for committee hearings to take place on the bill while the legislature is not sitting. Calandra also introduced a Peel Transition Implementation Act, to transfer some services currently handled by Peel Region to its three municipalities of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon. That comes after Ontario reversed course on a plan to dissolve the regional government, instead promising to find efficiencies in its management. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. Allison Jones, The Canadian PressQuinoa’s grain-like seed offers a flavorful nutrition-packed addition to soups, salads and side dishes, as well as ingredient for cereals, snacks and pasta. But in order for that versatile seed to get from farm field to table, quinoa growers must be vigilant for signs of downy mildew, a disease that can decimate the crop if left unchecked. To help growers, a team of researchers led by U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service plant pathologist Anna Testen devised a fast new test to genetically detect the pathogen in both quinoa seed and leaf tissue. The advance, reported in the September 3, 2024, issue of Plant Disease, opens the door to countering downy mildew on several fronts -- with benefits to U.S. growers hoping to expand the crop and to consumers, who prize the seed’s flavor and offering of protein, fiber, vitamins and essential amino acids. Caused by the fungus-like pathogen Peronospora variabilis , downy mildew appears as yellow to pinkish lesions on the leaves of infected quinoa plants. Infected leaves can also take on a cupped appearance, among other malformations as well as tissue death and discoloration. Under favorable conditions, outbreaks of downy mildew in susceptible quinoa varieties can inflict seed yield losses of as much as 100 percent. The test -- or "assay," as the scientists call it -- uses a laboratory procedure known as quantitative polymerase chain reaction to help detect specific segments of the downy mildew pathogen’s DNA, so long as it’s present in a seed or leaf sample. Additionally, with the quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based test, it can determine how much of the pathogen is present based on readings of light emitted by the procedure’s amplification of its DNA. That feature also distinguishes the test from other polymerase chain reaction-based methods that have been developed. "Quantitative PCR is much more sensitive (meaning, it can detect smaller amounts of DNA) than standard PCR, so there are fewer false negatives," said Testen, who is with the USDA ARS Application Technology Research Unit in Wooster, Ohio. It’s also more specific and faster, allowing for more samples to be screened, she said. Among potential uses is providing quinoa growers with an early warning system. In other susceptible crops, "spore traps that catch airborne spores paired with qPCR assays have been used to detect the downy mildew pathogen early and warn growers to treat their crops," said Testen. Another potential use is helping speed the identification of plants from quinoa breeding lines that can resist or tolerate downy mildew. Plant breeders can then pass the genes for that trait into elite quinoa varieties, shoring up their defenses against the disease. And on the phytosanitary front, the tests could help ensure that commercial shipments or germplasm exchanges of quinoa seed for research purposes are free of downy mildew, preventing new or re-introductions of the disease. And as quinoa’s U.S. popularity grows, "this tool will also help us track the quinoa downy mildew pathogen in the environment, potentially teaching us more about its epidemiology to improve disease management," said Testen, whose co-authors on the Plant Disease paper are Scott Shaw with the USDA ARS and Purnima Puri, Evan Domsic, Deirdre Griffin-LaHue, Kevin Murphy and Chakrahdar Mattupalli—all with Washington State University.
Simple and comforting, reminiscent of delectable chocolate and coffee, Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230), the color of the year 2025, is an invitation for thoughtful indulgence, harmonious comfort and feelings of contentment. "We look to a mellow brown hue whose inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others," stated Laurie Pressman, Pantone Color Institute Vice President. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.Another day, another barking lie from Dutton and his brazen band of disinformation dealers, now regularly guest-starring on the public broadcaster. There is no stopping the runaway train of invention that is the Murdoch media, at least not without government intervention — and there appears to be no appetite within the Labor Party to go down that road again . But the ABC also continues to embrace Dutton’s outright racism, the ongoing deliberate lies about energy and the existence of a Coalition nuclear "plan”, plain old angry rants about the CSIRO and accusations of fueling antisemitism levelled against the Prime Minister. Anyone would think these things were perfectly reasonable — and therein lies the problem. Opposition leaders should be given the opportunity to offer alternative policies and critique the government of the day, of course. But when an opposition leader seeks only to divide, when their alternate policies are complete fabrications designed to create chaos, they should be called out, not platformed, presented as fact and promoted further. RAISING FALSE FLAGS This week, Peter Dutton declared that if elected PM he would not stand in front of the Aboriginal flag. This alone should have him denounced as the racist individual that he is and unfit to be PM. Earlier evidence of his outright racist deeds should have been presented alongside his latest diversionary tactic. Defaming Dutton and Co or calling a racist a racist? Managing editor Michelle Pini discusses defamatory statements versus inarguable facts in relation to Peter Dutton's hurt feelings over being called out as racist, among other high-profile litigation. Instead of stepping up, however, the national broadcaster emulated the Murdoch media frenzy, featuring Dutton on repeat declaring: "I'm very strongly of the belief that we are a country united under one flag, and if we're asking people to identify with different flags, no other country does that, and we are dividing our country unnecessarily. We should have respect for the Indigenous flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag, but they are not our national flags." Of course, the Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag were proclaimed flags of Australia in 1995 under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953 . And Australia is not the only country that displays more than one flag — several other countries do so, including members of the European Union, which display the EU flag alongside their national flags. Australia, however, is the only Western democracy that doesn’t have a Treaty with its Indigenous peoples. Was this pointed out in the ABC rolling coverage of Dutton's flag falsehoods? Was there any mention of the Flags Act ? Did any ABC presenter call out any aspect of Dutton’s bullshit or point out his history of racist deeds? As far as we know, only Laura Tinglehad the temerity to call it out. Increasingly, Tingle is the lone voice of reason in the chorus of underwhelming Murdoch-lite news presenters now favoured by the public broadcaster. 'ANTISEMITIC' UN RESOLUTIONS It is not antisemitic to vote with 157 other UN member states – including all but two of our allies – in favour of an end to the genocide in Palestine. Calling for an end to this is not "abandoning Israel", as Dutton claimed . Indeed, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his crimes against humanity in Gaza. Synagogue fire fuels Dutton's appetite for political point-scoring Peter Dutton's comments after a recent fire ravaged a Melbourne synagogue imply Labor's stance on Gaza has left Australia 'less safe'. According to Dutton and co, however, this somehow makes Albanese an "enabler" of antisemitic hate crimes, such as the terrible Melbourne synagogueattack on 6 December. Yet his bizarre accusations are constantly aired on the ABC, often even led by Aunty’s journos . Interestingly, Muslim hate crimes, such as the recent arson attack on an Islamic school bus in Adelaide, barely rate a mention . NUCLEAR GASLIGHTING Dutton’s flag frenzy and antisemitic accusations are of course designed to take the pressure off the fact that he remains unable to provide any solid evidence in favour of or costings for his fabled nuclear policy. The Coalition’s nuclear energy policy – or lack of it – is, as we have discussed at length, not sustainable. This is why there are no detailed costings. And this is why Dutton repeatedly attacks the truthtellers such as the chief scientific authority in the land, the CSIRO, which has exposed his nuclear plans as not cheap, clean or fast . Dutton’s nuclear lights are out and no one’s home Dutton's alternative facts on nuclear energy demonstrate that the Coalition is no longer fit for purpose as a credible opposition, let alone a serious government contender. Michelle Pini reports. His party’s nuclear policy is simply a diversion, created with the sole purpose of sabotaging renewables so that we can keep on digging up coal ad infinitum , as decreed by the likes of Dutton’s number one fan, mining magnate Gina Rinehart and magnified on a daily basis by Murdoch media and co . Yet, hardly a day goes by when this outright disinformation isn’t echoed on the ABC. It’s no surprise, then, given the successful publicity created to date by all these falsehoods masquerading as facts, even from the national broadcaster, that the Liberal Party has again engaged Morrison’s gun disinformation team, creative agency Topham Guerin, to help win the next election using the same falsehoods and " deepfake technology ". As I A 's Alan Austin pointed out , analysis of its reportage demonstrates the ABC has, for some time, systematically pushed Dutton's Liberal Party agenda. Sadly, change has not yet appeared on the horizon. The ABC subtly and systematically pushes a Liberal Party agenda Typified by a recent article on Gladys Berejiklian's corrupt conduct, the ABC newsroom uses deceptive and nuanced tricks to advance the Liberal Party. Alan Austin reports. This is not the whole story! Subscribe HERE to read this article in full and receive regular updates directly to your inbox, from as little as 96c a week. Follow managing editor Michelle Pini on Bluesky @michellepini.bsky.social and Independent Australia on Bluesky @independentaus.bsky.social . This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Australia License Support independent journalism Subscribe to IA. Related Articles EDITORIAL: ABC propels Dutton’s disinformation dealers ABC trails Coalition on its Road to Nowhere EDITORIAL: ABC trails Coalition on its road to nowhere ABC ‘truth bombs’ from Ita Buttrose and Peter van Onselen EDITORIAL: ABC ‘truth bombs’ according to Ita Buttrose and Peter van Onselen POLITICS MEDIA ABC Murdoch media Peter Dutton disinformation auspol deepfake technology Aboriginal flag flags antisemitism synagogue Share ArticleWASHINGTON , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with deep sadness that Universities Space Research Association (USRA) announces the passing of Dr. Berrien Moore III , an internationally recognized leader in Earth Science and an invaluable member of the USRA Board of Trustees. Dr. Moore passed away on December 17, 2024 , in Norman, Oklahoma . He was the Dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences and Director of the National Weather Center at the University of Oklahoma . Dr. Moore was elected to the USRA Board of Trustees in 2019 and re-elected for a second term in 2022. He served in multiple leadership capacities on the Board, including Chair of the Compensation Committee, inaugural Chair of the University Engagement Committee, and, since 2021, Vice Chair of the Board. Gen Lester Lyles , Chair of the USRA Board of Trustees said, "We are profoundly grieved by the loss of Berrien Moore , a treasured member of our Board. Berrien was a strong leader and a dedicated advocate for Earth Science. With his wit and charm, Berrien was more than just a colleague, he was a true friend to everyone. On behalf of the entire Board, I extend our heartfelt condolences to Berrien's family and loved ones during this challenging time." Dr. Jeffrey Isaacson , President and CEO of USRA commented, "At USRA, we are deeply saddened by this news. This is a terrific loss for our Association, but we are grateful to have had the privilege of working with Berrien and are indebted by his many contributions. All of us at USRA extend our heartfelt condolences, prayers, and support to his family." Dr. Moore served in several capacities with NASA including as Principal Investigator of NASA's Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCarb) mission that placed University of Oklahoma at the forefront of climate research. He also served as chair of NASA's Space and Earth Science Advisory Council, as a member of the NASA Advisory Council, and was on several other committees. As a Coordinating Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he contributed to the body of work that garnered the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. His honors include NASA's highest civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Medal for outstanding service, the NOAA Administrator's Recognition Award, and the 2007 Dryden Lectureship in Research medal by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Moore is survived by his wife Lucia and his daughter Leila. About USRA Founded in 1969, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences at the request of the U.S. Government, the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology, and engineering. USRA operates scientific institutes and facilities and conducts other major research and educational programs. It is an association with 121 university members. It engages the broader university community, employs in-house scientific talent, and offers innovative research, development, and project management expertise. More information about USRA is available at www.usra.edu . PR Contact: Suraiya Farukhi sfarukhi@usra.edu 443-812-6945 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usra-mourns-the-loss-of-dr-berrien-moore-iii-a-distinguished-member-of-the-board-of-trustees-302337533.html SOURCE Universities Space Research AssociationAP News Summary at 2:48 p.m. EST
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers activated linebacker Dre Greenlaw to play Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams for his first action since tearing his left Achilles tendon in last season’s Super Bowl. Greenlaw had been practicing the past few weeks and was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Thursday. San Francisco placed offensive lineman Ben Bartch on injured reserve with an ankle injury to make room on the roster. Greenlaw was one of the emotional leaders of San Francisco’s defense before the freak injury in the first half of the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. Greenlaw bounced up and down on the sideline and then started to run onto the field with a few teammates when he collapsed holding his left leg. He was then helped off in a cart. Greenlaw was drafted in the fifth round in 2019 and emerged as one of the key defenders for San Francisco in 2022. He started 30 games the past two seasons with 247 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 10 passes defensed and three takeaways. The Niners have missed his intensity and physical play this season, especially against the run. The Rams and 49ers both promoted players from the practice squad for the game with Los Angeles adding defensive back Charles Woods and San Francisco promoting running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. ___ AP NFL:Ajax lost 1-3 to Italian team SS Lazio in the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League. The Amsterdammers equalized through Bertrand Traore early into the second half, but goals from Pedro and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru gave the leaders of the Europa League the victory. It was Ajax’s third loss in their last five matches and their second in a row in the UEFA Europa League after they lost to Real Sociedad in their previous game. Despite this, they will likely still advance in the Europa League as their next match is against RFS from Latvia, who have two points in their six games. Lazio took the lead in the 12th minute. Lazio’s experienced Spanish player Pedro played a through ball to Loum Tchaouna, whose shot went in via the Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer. Ajax had a chance to equalize in the 19th minute. A cross from Rensch found Brian Brobbey, but it was just about too high for the striker. Francesco Farioli’s team made the best possible start to the second half by equalizing. Steven Berghuis’ cross was headed toward goal by Kenneth Taylor. Lazio defender Luca Pellegrini cleared the ball off the line, but it went out to Bertrand Traore, who smashed the ball into the net to make it 1-1. However, the ArenA was silenced again five minutes later as the Roman team re-took the lead. A cross from Mattia Zaccagni went to the far post where Fisayo Dele-Bashiru shot toward the goal. Pasveer thought he had saved it initially, but goalline technology showed that the ball had gone over the line. Brobbey had another chance to score later on in the half after Pellegrini’s attempt to chest the ball back to the keeper was intercepted by Brobbey, but the striker’s header went wide of the goal. Pedro followed up his assist with a terrific goal in the 77th minute. Nuno Tavares came forward from his own half, dribbling past two players before passing the ball on to Tchaouna, who laid it off to the Spaniard. Ajax created chances to equalize late on in the match. They hit the crossbar twice via Traore and Anton Gaaei before Chuba Akpom missed a significant chance to score.Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), a leading national shareholder rights law firm, today announced that it has commenced an investigation on behalf of Applied Therapeutics, Inc. ("Applied Therapeutics" or the "Company") APLT investors concerning the Company's possible violations of the federal securities laws. If you suffered a loss on your Applied Therapeutics investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information at www.glancylaw.com/cases/applied-therapeutics-inc/ . You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at shareholders@glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On November 27, 2024, Applied Therapeutics disclosed that it had received a Complete Response Letter ("CRL") from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") regarding the New Drug Application ("NDA") for the Company's Classic Galactosemia drug, govorestat, stating that "[t]he CRL indicates that the FDA completed its review of the application and determined that it is unable to approve the NDA in its current form, citing deficiencies in the clinical application." On this news, Applied Therapeutics' stock price fell $6.54, or 76.3%, to close at $2.03 per share on November 29, 2024, thereby injuring investors. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn , Twitter , or Facebook . Whistleblower Notice: Persons with non-public information regarding Applied Therapeutics should consider their options to aid the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower Program. Under the program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Charles H. Linehan at 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224 or email shareholders@glancylaw.com . About GPM Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP is a premier law firm representing investors and consumers in securities litigation and other complex class action litigation. ISS Securities Class Action Services has consistently ranked GPM in its annual SCAS Top 50 Report. In 2018, GPM was ranked a top five law firm in number of securities class action settlements, and a top six law firm for total dollar size of settlements. With four offices across the country, GPM's nearly 40 attorneys have won groundbreaking rulings and recovered billions of dollars for investors and consumers in securities, antitrust, consumer, and employment class actions. GPM's lawyers have handled cases covering a wide spectrum of corporate misconduct including cases involving financial restatements, internal control weaknesses, earnings management, fraudulent earnings guidance and forward looking statements, auditor misconduct, insider trading, violations of FDA regulations, actions resulting in FDA and DOJ investigations, and many other forms of corporate misconduct. GPM's attorneys have worked on securities cases relating to nearly all industries and sectors in the financial markets, including, energy, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, real estate and REITs, financial, insurance, information technology, health care, biotech, cryptocurrency, medical devices, and many more. GPM's past successes have been widely covered by leading news and industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal , The Financial Times , Bloomberg Businessweek , Reuters , the Associated Press , Barron's , Investor's Business Daily , Forbes , and Money . This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212324063/en/ © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Detroit Lions fan who confronted Packers HC Matt LaFleur reveals season tickets were revoked
